Electric lamp sockets



May 23, 1967 P, s, HAAS ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKETS Filed Dec. 5, 1963 M/VENT'OR PETER 'ST'EPHEN HAAS ms ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,321,734 ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKETS Peter Stephen Haas, Sandringham, Victoria, Australia, as-

signor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 328,288

Claims priority, application Australia, May 23, 1963,

31,049/ 63 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-127) This invention relates to electric lamp sockets of the type which which are adapted for mounting electric lamps upon an apertured supporting panel forming part of a dashboard or glove box of a motor vehicle and in various other desired locations.

Hitherto, it has been common trade practice to form such a socket from rubber, plastic or other suitable electrical insulating material and to provide the body portion of the socket with a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient fingers which are adapted to be sprung into the desired operative position from the back of a supporting panel on the vehicle in which a hole has been formed to receive such fingers and to insert the electric lamp from the front of the panel into its socket.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved electric lamp socket of the kind indicated which is capable of being quickly and easily mounted in the desired operative position by inserting part of the socket through a hole in a supporting panel from the front of the panel as distinct from inserting the socket from the rear of the panel in accordance with prior trade practice.

It will be appreciated that the improved socket is thus capable of being readily mounted in some locations which would be normally inaccessible from the rear of the supporting panel.

Other advantages and various novel constructional features of the invention will be more readily apparent fromthe following detailed description.

In accordance with the present invention the improved lamp socket comprises a hollow body portion having a laterally projecting resilient flange at or adjacent to its outer end and which is of substantially circular formation, said body portion having means for detachably connecting it to an apertured supporting panel and which include a plurality of circumferentially spaced retaining lugs and one or more circumferentially spaced locating stops which form part of said flange, said lugs being carried by and projecting radially in relation to said body portion and being spaced axially and rearwardly of said flange so that when in use said body portion may be passed through a hole in said panel from the front thereof in such a manner that said lugs enter spaced gaps in said panel which communicate with said hole whereby axial inward pressure on said body portion and partial rotation thereof flexes the flange and passes the lugs to the rear of said panel and causes each stop to enter one of the gaps in the panel and oppose further undesirable rotation of the lamp socket in relation to the panel.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a lamp socket in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation looking at the left-hand end of FIGURE 3 with the socket turned at right angles from the position shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional elevation taken on the line III-III of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation looking at the righthand end of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line V-V of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional detail taken on the line VI-VI of FIGURE 4.

The improved lamp socket is composed of electrical insulating material and includes an elongated hollow body portion 2 which may be of part-cylindrical formation and provided with an inner end wall 3 and at its outer end with a laterally projecting flange 4 which is preferably inclined backwardly in relation to the outer end of the body portion and is capable of limited flexing in relation thereto.

The body portion is provided with an open-mouthed central cavity 6 to receive the body portion of the lamp (not shown), the cavity extending lengthwise of the body portion and having diametrically opposed recesses 7 formed in the cavity walls so as to accommodate a known type of bayonet coupling with laterally projecting pins on the lamp base.

The central cavity merges into an axial extension 8 at the rear end of the body portion and which is accessible through a hole 9 in the inner end wall of the body portion. This axial extension is adapted to accommodate a known type of spring-influenced electrical terminal for engaging the usual central contact on the inner end of the lamp base and which is electrically insulated from the metal side wall thereof.

As usual, with a lamp socket of insulating material, the electrical circuit to the lamp is completed by providing a second electrical terminal within the body portion so as to engage the metal side wall of the lamp base when it is inserted into its socket. The second electrical terminal may be accommodated within a second compartment 11 which is offset sidewardly in relation to the central cavity. Suitable terminals for such compartments are shown in Patent No. 2,741,747 to R. C. Woofter.

Associated with the foregoing are means for detachably connecting the socket to a supporting panel or the like on a motor vehicle after the body portion 2 of the socket has been passed through a hole in the panel, from the front side thereof.

Such detachable connecting means consists of a plurality of circuferentially spaced retaining lugs 12 and locating stops 13 associated with the aforesaid flexible flange. For example, a pair of diametrically opposed lugs 12 may be employed together with a pair of diametrically opposed stops 13, the latter being located at substantially right angles to said lugs.

The pair of lugs 12 are carried by and project radially in relation to the body portion 2 and in addition are spaced axially and rearwardly of the flange.

The associated stops 13 are carried by the flange 4 and located on the back thereof in circumferentially spaced relationship, said flange being also preferably provided with circumferentially spaced gaps 14 forming resilient flange sections 16. Two of these gaps are aligned with the aforesaid lugs 12 so as to facilitate their molding during the manufacture of the lamp socket.

That portion of the central cavity at the front or outer end of the body portion may be of increased diameter as at 17 so as to readily accommodate the lamp bulb. If desired the body portion may also be provided with a forwardly projecting hood 18 adapted to overhang the lamp bulb and thus serve as a shield for the latter when in use. This hood also serves as a convenient finger grip to facilitate the installation and removal of the lamp socket.

It is of course necessary to form an appropriately sized hole in the supporting panel 19 to pass the body portion of the socket and in addition a pair of diametrically opposed notches are formed in the panel around the hole so that the pair of lugs 12 may be passed through said notches to the rear of the panel after the body portion has been inserted through the hole therein. Suitable conductors are disposed along the sides of the hole in the panel as shown for example in Patent No. 2,884,609 to R. W. Fraser et al. Appropriate turning movement of the lamp socket in relation to its supporting panel serves to operatively position the lugs behind the panel whilst the resilient fiange sections bear against the front face thereof and serve to firmly support the socket in the desired operative position.

The aforesaid stops 13 are intended to yieldingly prevent undesirable rotation of the lamp socket in relation to its supporting panel after it has been secured in position. For this purpose, each stop is preferably formed as an integral abutment projecting from the rear face of one of the flange sections, said stop being provided at one side with a leading face 21 which is preferably perpendicular to the flange whilst thesurface of the stop may be inclined inwardly in relation to said leading face so as to form a ramp 22 which merges with the rear face of the flange section the overall dimensions of each said stop being such that it is capable of being accommodated within one of the aforesaid notches in the panel 19 with the leading face 21 of the stop in engagement with one of the marginal edges of the panel defining said notch.

One of the edges of each of the aforesaid lugs 12 is also preferably beveled as at 23 in such a manner that when the lamp socket is turned for example in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front of the socket, the lugs will be deflected behind the supporting panel after having been passed through the pair of opposed slots therein.

Continued turning movement of the lamp socket in addition to inward axial pressure against the flange finally results in the stops 13 being located in the pair of associated notches. Undesirable turning movement of the lamp socket in such. a manner as may tend to occur during use of the vehicle is thus prevented by engagement of the stops with the marginal edges of the panel defining the associated notches whilst the aforesaid ramps 22 on the stops facilitate removal of the lamp socket when so desired simply by effecting reverse partial rotation of the socket until the retaining lugs 12 are brought into registry with said notches.

Although the improved lamp socket has been primarily designed for mounting on a motor vehicle as aforesaid it will be apparent that its use is not limited thereto in that it may be readily employed for a variety of other purposes in which it may be mounted in the desired operative position upon an apertured supporting panel or the like 19 as aforesaid. 1

Various minor alterations, modifications and/ or additions may be introduced into the foregoing construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the ambit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electric lamp socket composed of electrical insulating material and which comprises a hollow body portion having a laterally projecting resilient flange at or adjacent to its outer end and which is of substantially circular formation, said body portion having means for detachably connecting it to an apertured supporting panel and which include a plurality of circumferentially spaced retaining lugs and which include circumferentially spaced locating stops that form part of said flange, said lugs being carried by and projecting radially in relation to said body portion and being spaced axially and rearwardly of said flange so that when in use said body portion is passed through a hole in said panel from the front thereof in such a manner that said lugs enter into mating fit with said panel which engage peripherally with said hole whereby axial inward pressure on said body portion and partial rotation thereof flexes the flange and passes the lugs to the rear of said panel and causes each stop to enter into peripheral engagement at predetermined location of said panel and oppose further undesirable rotation of the lamp socket in relation to the panel, and a forwardly axially projecting hood secured to said body portion in a location on one side of said flange.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said flange is divided radially into a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient flange sections and two of said lugs are employed and arranged in diametrically opposed relationship upon said body portion so as to project between the circumferentially spaced flange sections, two of said locating stops being also employed which are diametrically opposed at substantially right angles to said lugs, said locating stops being partially deformed rearwardly in relation to said flange, said hood being adapted to have lamp bulb overhang.

3. A device according to claim 2 wherein each of said locating stops is provided with a leading face which is substantially perpendicular to said flange whilst the opposite edge portion of said stop is inclined inwardly in relation to said leading face so as to form a ramp which merges with the rear face of the stop and facilitates removal of the stop from the panel when the lamp socket is partially rotated in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation when it was being fitted to the panel, said hood also serving as a convenient finger grip that facilitates installation and removal of the lamp socket.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein each of said lugs is beveled on one side so as to slidably engage the apertured panel and assist in directing the lugs into engagement with the rear face of the panel after the body portion of the lamp socket has been passed through said hole in the supporting panel from the front side thereof and partially rotated, said hood being a lamp shield as well as a convenient finger grip to facilitate installation and removal of said lamp socket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,264,482 4/1918 Berg 339171 X 2,884,609 4/1959 Fraser et al 33917 3,017,599 1/1962 Loesch 339-17 X 3,206,708 9/1965 Fritz Gerald 339-127 X MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED S. TRASK, Examiner. 

1. AN ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET COMPOSED OF ELECTRICAL INSULATING MATERIAL AND WHICH COMPRISES A HOLLOW BODY PORTION HAVING A LATERALLY PROJECTING RESILIENT FLANGE AT OR ADJACENT TO ITS OUTER END AND WHICH IS OF SUBSTANTIALLY CIRCULAR FORMATION, SAID BODY PORTION HAVING MEANS FOR DETACHABLY CONNECTING IT TO AN APERTURED SUPPORTING PANEL AND WHICH INCLUDE A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RETAINING LUGS AND WHICH INCLUDE CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED LOCATING STOPS THAT FORM PART OF SAID FLANGE, SAID LUGS BEING CARRIED BY AND PROJECTING RADIALLY IN RELATION TO SAID BODY PORTION AND BEING SPACED AXIALLY AND REARWARDLY OF SAID FLANGE SO THAT WHEN IN USE SAID BODY PORTION IS PASSED THROUGH A HOLE IN SAID PANEL FROM THE FRONT THEREOF IN SUCH 